Coupling device



I 1956 G. E. E. BLOMBERG 3,

COUPLING DEVICE Filed March 19, 1964 United States Patent COUPLING DEVICE Giite Einar Erling Blomberg, 3A Vastergatan, Gothenburg, Sweden Filed Mar. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 353,118 Claims priority, application Sweden, Mar. 30, 1963,

2 Claims. (Ci. 24-123) The present invention relates to a device for coupling a ships mooring wire to a separate bollard hawser ashore. This hawser is usually made of nylon to increase the elasticity for the mooring wire, and both ropes are subject to a very severe strain. Therefore the hawser is provided at its free end with a coupling device called thimble for a sure uniting to the ships wire.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a coupling between the ships wire and the bollard hawser that will permit a very easy and quick uniting of them without the use of any tools.

It is another object of the invention to provide a coupling between the ships wire and the bollard hawser which will not be able to damage the hawser by chafing or cutting into the same during a rough handling of the coupling ashore.

With these and other objects in view the coupling having the shape of a tube which is bent to surround a central eye with the tube ends lying side by side directed radially outwards, and the invention is essentially characterized in that the tube ends being lengthened to form a neck which is bent to be positioned in inclination to the plane of the central eye of the coupling, said coupling being undetachably united to the hawser, which is provided with an end loop for making fast to the bollard, the ships wire being detachably attached to the coupling in a distinct position inserted with a looped end through the central eye of the coupling and the loop then being disposed around the coupling body subsequent to having been drawn over the rear free loop end of the hawser, the stretched ships wire and the hawser being approximately in line with each other on account of the inclination difference between the neck and the plane of the central eye.

Up to the present the uniting of the ships wire has been made by splicing itself to a loop into a short straight thim'ble belonging to the hawser, or the two ropes are united by means of a shackle. Both methods have disadvantages. In the first case the hawser is often badly cut or chafed in the event of the thimble being deformed, and in the later case, the shackling job is a troublesome operation. These disadvantages are eliminated by the present invention which permits a reliable joining of mooring wire and bollard hawser with not necessity for either shackle or splicing of the wire.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where FIG. 1 represents a plane view of a coupling according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a side elevation of same,

FIG. 3 a view of the cou ling neck in perspective, and

FIG. 4 a diagrammatical view of the coupling uniting the ships wire and the bollard hawser in a minor scale.

The quay hawser 1, the one end of which is formed into a loop 2 for making fast to a bollard, has its opposite end 3,228,078 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 "Ice fitted with a coupling 3, adapted for connection to a ships mooring wire 4, which latter, for this purpose, is provided with the loop 5.

The coupling 3 is made of a tube which is bent to surround a central eye 3a, the tube ends 6a, 6b stretch-ing out side by side and being lengthened to form a neck 6 with open tube ends directed rearwards to receive the free end of the hawser 1. Said free end is inserted into the one tube opening, pushed through the tube and out through the other tube end opening and then spliced to the hawser to secure the coupling to the hawser. The neck portion is bent to be positioned in an angle to the plane of the coupling eyelet. On account thereof the eyelet has received an inclination downwards as shown in FIGURE 4. On the wide upper surface of the neck in the position in FIGURES 3 and 4, Le. the surface from which the plane of the coupling eye slopes downwards, a reinforcement plate 7 has been welded on, this being of considerable advantage since the coupling is generally subject to very rough treatment. The said plate is for a further use described herebelow fitted with a tongue 8, bent over towards the eye of the coupling as shown in all the figures. Thus the plate is transformed to U-shape.

When a ships mooring wire is to be joined to the quay hawser, the wire eyelet 5 is passed through the coupling eye 3a over the top of the same, as shown in FIGURE 1, after which it is taken to the free-lying loop 2 of the hawser 1, threaded over same and then brought back to the coup-ling neck 6 for a grip round same Whilst positioned on the reinforcement plate 7. The wire end is then laid under the tongue 8 which can be forced down towards the plate by means of a hammer if desired, thus securing the wire 4 in position against the plate on the inside of the tongue 8.

Upon the mooring wire and the hawser being subject to stretching subsequent to the loop 2 of the hawser having been made fast to a bollard, the coupling and the wire eyelet will be locked to each other, whereas the wire and hawser, whilst subject to a load by stretch ing, will lie practically in line with each other, with the result that chafing of the hawser by the coupling ends will be prevented.

It may be understood that the tongue means a double holding security and therefore in certain cases may be dispensed with. On the other hand the tongue has the advantage that it gives the ships wire a position to facilitate the detachments.

The embodiment shown is to exemplify the invention and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling to be mounted on the end of a mooring hawser comprising a tube bent to the form of a loop defining an eye, the two ends of the tube being straight and lying parallel and closely adjacent each other in a plane to form a neck, said neck extending at an obtuse angle to the plane of said loop, said tube being adapted to enclose a spliced loop of the hawser, the obtuse angle between the plane of said neck and the plane of said loop being such that a ships mooring line may be passed through the eye defined by the loop portion, said tube from the side of the eye remote from said neck extend ing in substantial alignment with the hawser beyond said neck, thence to be passed in an open loop, the bight extending about the said neck and the end again through References Cited by the Examiner said eye portion of said tube so that the line of tension FOREIGN PATENTS between said hawser and sald shlps mooring line when the coupling is in use will be a straight line. 515,102 11/1920 France- 2. The coupling of claim 1 in which a U-shaped holder 5 1,106,059 7/1955 Franceis mounted on said straight portion of said tube to re- 1,307,521 9/1962 Franceceive the bigh't of the ships mooring line secured there- 6541132 12/1937 to and adapted to prevent the bight of said open loop V of the ships mooring line form contacting said hawser WILLIAM FELDMAN Prlmary Exammer' beyond said neck. 10 BOBBY R. GAY, Examiner. 

1. A COUPLING TO BE MOUNTED ON THE END OF A MOORING HAWSER COMPRISING A TUBE BENT TO THE FORM OF A LOOP DEFINING AN EYE, THE TWO ENDS OF THE TUBE BEING STRAIGHT AND LYING PARALLEL AND CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER IN A PLANE TO FORM A NECK, SAID NECK EXTENDING AT A OBTUSE ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID LOOP, SAID TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE A SPLICED LOOP OF THE HAWSER, THE OBTUSE ANGLE BETWEEN THE PLANE OF SAID NECK AND THE PLANE OF SAID LOOP BEING SUCH THAT A SHIP''S MOORING LINE MAY BE PASSED THROUGH THE EYE DEFINED BY THE LOOP PORTION, SAID TUBE FROM THE SIDE OF THE EYE REMOTE FROM SAID NECK EXTENDING IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE HAWSER BEYOND SAID NECK, THENCE TO BE PASSED IN AN OPEN LOOP, THE BIGHT EXTENDING ABOUT THE SAID NECK AND THE END AGAIN THROUGH SAID EYE PORTION OF SAID TUBE SO THAT THE LINE OF TENSION BETWEEN SAID HAWSER AND SAID SHIP''S MOORING LINE WHEN THE COUPLING IS IN USE WILL BE A STRAIGHT LINE. 